LN Beauty: Skin Deep Q&A

Doug Moss of Saks Fifth Avenue

Though he’s new to St. Louis (transplanted from Texas last
August), Saks Fifth Avenue general manager Doug Moss has been with
the company for more than a decade and has been in retail for
nearly two. LN talked to him about holiday gift-giving trends in
cosmetics and fragrances—two areas that have become even more
important in this economy, he points out, when people are looking
for gifts that are luxurious but not flashy.

What are the most
popular beauty gifts this year?

There’s the home collection portion of the business, which
includes candles and reed air fresheners, and then there’s the
personal side of it, whether it’s body creams or fragrances. As for
cosmetics, it’s tough to anticipate someone’s foundation or other
colors unless they give you a list.

What are the top
gifts at Saks this year?

It’s always Laura Mercier—they have something called ‘Crème
Brûlée,’ which has this wonderful smell; it smells like dessert on
your skin. Also the Bond No. 9 fragrances, which are exclusive to
Saks. They have a collection of scents that are unisex and named
after New York neighborhoods. You can also mix and layer those
scents. And then Chanel has this incredible collection of nail
polish with names like ‘Vendetta.’ I just bought my wife that
collection.

What are favorite
fragrances this year?

Chanel No. 5 is a terrific standby, and Josie Natori just
launched a beautiful fragrance called Natori that does really well.
Also, Bond No. 9.

What have been
memorable fragrances in years past?

Viktor & Rolf, when they did the Flowerbomb, it was just a
dynamic, enormous success…Viktor & Rolf are very obscure
designers, but they managed to have a bestselling scent. Thierry
Mugler’s Angel and the Estée Lauder collection have always been
popular. Dior has Miss Dior Chérie and Poison. There are such great
names out there in the perfume world!

What are favorite
non-fragrance gifts this year?

Candles have become a luxurious gift, especially when they have
essential oils in them. If you’re trying to guess whether something
works for someone’s skin or not, candles are a better choice. Then
there are cosmetic mirrors, and great men’s skin care products from
Jack Black—his ‘Lab’ series.

What have been
historically popular non-fragrance gifts?

La Mer has always been great. Do you know the story? The founder
was a chemist, and he had chemical burns, and he created this to
cure his chemical burns and it actually worked! The pressed perfume
from Estée Lauder is also very popular.

What are some
extra-special gift items this year?

The Estée Lauder compacts. They become collectibles, and I think
that people enjoy collecting things, whether it’s a piece of fine
crystal or makeup products. People also collect pure perfume. Most
fragrances are eau de parfum, or eau de toilette, which is perfume
that’s been diluted. Pure perfume is the pure essence, essential
oils in a very pure form. And the difference is, it lasts on your
skin an incredibly long time. It’s rare, because it takes such a
large concentrate to get.

Who is buying gifts
for whom?

Men are definitely buying fragrances for women. That’s pretty
cross-generational, whether it’s for your mom, your significant
other, or for children. I also think it’s a great gift for children
to buy for parents. In some cases, women are buying their men
fragrance, because they like them to smell a certain way.

What’s the top gift for men?

Scent has to be No. 1. And then there’s a real return to the old
barbershop concept—GQ did an article about the barbershops in
London. Men are very interested in their faces now; there’s eye
creams, scrubs, and all sorts of products that help with your
skin.…Men want to look good and they want to look young. Women have
been working on that for years, and men are finally catching
up!